These are the rants and raves of a stubborn-headed, midwestern, baby boomer, liberal, wife, mother, and grandmother. My goals are to speak my mind and educate others about some of the events in our world.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The GOP is using cover ups, lies and distortions to get your vote. Here is a round up of some of the stuff that is being said:

A man approached Republican Sen. George Allen and asked, "Why did you spit on your first wife?" Full story at NBC29. The question itself is one that has long been a rumor about Allen's relationship with his first wife. Allen is quoting certain excerpts of Webb's books. However, Allen's alleged spitting on his first wife, shows his lack of respect for women and his wife. By the way, when will Allen release his arrest records? November 8th?

According to Media Matters, apparently a group of companies decided to blacklist Air America and refused to advertise on the liberal radio network. Wow! Do these companies want people to stop shopping/using their companies? Look at the list and decide who you'd like to avoid.

When will Republican candidate for Senate for Tennessee, Bob Corker, release his financial statements? What is he hiding?

Why isn't the administration talking about all the missing weapons in Iraq? Is this an example of how Rumsfeld is conducting the war?

NY Times:...if anyone should apologize, Mr. Kerry said, it is President Bush and his administration officials who started the ill-conceived war. He said his remarks, which he conceded were part of a “botched joke,” had been distorted and called the criticism directed at him the work of “assorted right-wing nut jobs and right-wing talk show hosts.”

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’re crazy,” Mr. Kerry said in a statement. “I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.”

“I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed-suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq,” Mr. Kerry went on. “It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.”

At a televised news conference today in Seattle, Mr. Kerry said he was “disgusted” by the Republican attacks, which he noted were coming at the end of a bloody month in Iraq. “Sadly, this is the best this administration can do,” he said....

Huffington Post: Comedy Central's The Daily Show with host Jon Stewart is in Ohio this week, anticipating the midterm elections. Monday was the first Ohio show, and Stewart explained that while "obviously we wanted to get some Ohio politicians...apparently, many of them are preparing to leave office...or, go to prison," a reference to scandal-ridden Ohio politics and elections of recent years. See the video.

Republican Greg Hartman doesn't know election law and is NOT qualified to be Ohio Secretary of State. When Hartman was clerk of courts, he exposed thousands of citizens to identity theft by posting their social security numbers on the clerk's website. Despite complaints, he kept the numbers posted and over $500,000 of fraud was committed using those s.s. numbers. For a full rundown about Hartman, check out ePluribus Media Community.

Democrat Jennifer Brunner is a better choice for Secretary of State. She can be trusted.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Liberal radio host, Stephanie Miller, received a death threat after her appearance on Hannity and Colmes. Today on her radio show, Stephanie called the death threat letter writer because he had included his name, address, and telephone number in his letter. I hope that some law enforcement agency or the FBI investigate the man, who described himself as a retired insurance agent. Besides Stephanie Miller, he also threatened Cindy Sheehan in his letter. The letter writer, identified as "Sock" Sokolowski of Centerville, Ohio.

Stephanie Miller is the daughter of the late William Miller, a Republican vice presidential candidate in 1964.

...Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville is the richest, worth between $11.5 million and $47.5 million, followed by Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and George Voinovich of Ohio.......A new database from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics lets users search for Bush administration officials and members of Congress to get details of their financial holdings. The net worth of each lawmaker is given in a range, reflecting the forms they must fill out......White House Budget Director Rob Portman sure knows how to manage his own finances. The former congressman is among the area's richest, worth between $6.1 million and $14.1 million.

Of the four U.S. House members from Ohio who are millionaires, two are from Greater Cincinnati: House Majority Leader John Boehner of West Chester is worth between $2.1 million and $7.7 million, while freshman Rep. Jean Schmidt of Miami Township is worth between $1.7 million and $6.7 million.

The area's three other House lawmakers lag in the wealth category, with Rep. Geoff Davis of Hebron, Ky., the poorest. His assets were valued at between $32,000 and $53,000.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

1. Michael Steele is a Republican and he has no plan to get out of Iraq.2. Michael Steele was the state Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party.3. Mike Lupica and other sportswriters need to give more respect to Troy Smith and the Buckeyes.4. When the wind roars around Ohio Stadium at 40 mph, tailgate tents blow away, my toes get cold, and the Buckeyes are still hot.5. David Letterman knows how to level a smackdown to "bonehead" Bill O'Reilly.6. Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt of Ohio's 2nd congressional district, would allow nuclear waste to be stored/dumped in her district.7. Pat Tillman's brother, Kevin, is appealing to Americans to remember his brother on election day.8. The administration tries to help Deborah Pryce by giving a well-timed transportation grant. Pryce still trails Dem Kilroy in the polls.9. Republican John Boehner hearts Rumsfeld.10. Republican Sen. George Allen had multiple arrest warrants were issued for him in 1974.11. To change the direction of this country, you've got to throw the Republican bums out of the House and the Senate.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

With all the Republicans pull out their smear campaigns, citizens should demand that candidates return to talking about the issues. Why would Republican George Allen rather talk about Jim Webb's writings instead of his own "stay the course" (or whatever phrase the GOP is using at this moment)? Why won't Allen talk about his divorce and how he treated his ex-wife???? Huh?

Why don't Republicans want to talk about Iraq? Republican Sen. Bill Frist told GOP candidates that if someone brings up Iraq in a discussion, that they should change the subject. Really? Here are some questions that may make the Republican candidates wet their pants:

1. How many tours of duty should a member of the service expect to serve in Iraq? 4? 5? 6? 10?2. How many men and women from your district/state have died in Iraq?3. How many times have you visited Iraq? What is your opinion of what you saw? Did you leave the "Green Zone" (safe area) when you visited?4. What mistakes were made by Rumsfeld in Iraq?5. How many more Americans will need to die in Iraq?6. Have you attended any military funerals for service members from your state/district?7. At what age should a person not be sent to Iraq (people in their 50's and 60's are on active duty in Iraq)?8. What are your views on the large number of veterans who are suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome?9. Have you supported the troops with your votes? (Check House and Senate votes to see how the GOP did NOT vote for the troops.)10. How many times have you visited our wounded in military hospitals?11. Who do you think knows more about how to fight a war, generals or Rumsfeld?12. (This one's for George Allen.) How many confederate flags, confederate pins, and other confederate memorbilia do you own?

If you are going to a political forum, some of these questions would be appropriate to ask.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

With only 12 days to go, don't let anything stop you from voting for Democrats:Rothenberg Report:With only a couple of weeks until Election Day, we know there will be a Democratic wave on Nov. 7. And we can be fairly certain that by historical standards it will be high - possibly very high. But we still don’t know how many Republicans once considered safe will be swept out of office.

The national political environment currently is worse than it was in 1994, when the Democrats lost 52 House seats, eight Senate seats and 10 governorships, and when Republicans won GOP control of the House for the first time in decades.....

...With the national environment being as it is - and given the last round of redistricting, which limits possible Democratic gains - Republicans probably are at risk to lose as few as 45 seats and as many as 60 seats, based on historical results....

Looks like there are more incidents that show Republican George Allen's racial insensitivity. Raw Story found it.

Oh, no, another Republican under investigation!!!! Republican Rep. Rick Renzi is the target of a federal investigation, according to UPI.

The man known as the "naked photographer" has lost his law license for at least two years. The man once worked in the office of Republican Ohio House Speaker, Larry Householder, lost his appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court (Dispatch).

The trial of Republican fundraiser, Tom Noe, has tarnished the reputation of current State Auditor, Betty Montgomery. Zwire:The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation investment scandal has transformed the race for state auditor into a quest for restoring public confidence in the office. Tom Noe is facing state charges in the $50 million Coingate scandal. This has tarnished Republicans, including current state Auditor Betty Montgomery. Coingate involved the loss of $50 million in rare coins, which brought a criminal investigation and became a subject for auditors. But the BWC investment scandal also included the loss of nearly $300 million through hedge fund investments....

Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH-2) is now in a tight race with Democrat Victoria Wulsin. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Schmidt is upset that her scandalous speech about Rep. John Murtha (Democrat and Decorated Marine) is now part of a political ad. Crooks and Liars has thankfully saved a video of Schmidt.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Here are some things you should know about before you get in the voting booth:

Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons of Nevada has employed an illegal immigrant and forced her to stay in the basement. (KLAS-TV)

Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, has stopped a bill that would give research money for autism. (Fort Wayne)

Republican Sen. George Allen has only supported disabled American Vets 56% of the time. Virginia is the home to thousands of retired military. How do you think they'd feel about Allen's lack of support for them?

The announcer said that Lynn Cheney was going to appear on the Today Show. I had to change the channel.

Seen on Lane Avenue last Saturday: woman wearing a wire hanger with a sign that read "Kenneth Blackwell's healthcare for women." Blackwell is the Republican candidate for Ohio governor.

Donald Rumsfeld is very, very, very unpopular among our military in Iraq.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Since former lobbyist and Republican friend, Jack Abramoff, is singing for the FBI, people are wondering which Republican will be indicted next? Could it be Republican Rep. John Doolittle? USA Today has some info about Doolittle: ...Doolittle, over five years, has accepted $140,000 from Abramoff, associates and clients, according to Federal Election Commission records. Grand-jury-subpoenaed records show that Abramoff's law firm paid Doolittle's wife, Julie, $66,700 for working for a personal charity of Abramoff's. A Senate committee concluded she was blameless in any bribery scheme because she didn't know the money came from a California Indian tribe....

The new release from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services shows the unemployment rate for Ohio was 5.3% for September 2006.

Who voted for this clown? Not me! From the Wall Street Journal, Bush said the following: “Occasionally. One of the things I’ve used on the Google is to pull up maps. It’s very interesting to see that. I forgot the name of the program, but you get the satellite and you can — like, I kind of like to look at the ranch on Google, reminds me of where I want to be sometimes. Yeah, I do it some.”

Monday, October 23, 2006

...Current Rothenberg Political Report projection: Democratic gain of 18-25 seats, though we think that a significantly larger Democratic gain, in excess of 30 seats, is quite possible. (Democrats need to net 15 seats for a majority.)...

Next week, Jon Stewart and the crew of The Daily Show will be doing their show here in Columbus, Ohio. They will be broadcasting from the campus of The Ohio State University.

I wonder which guests will appear--- Gov. Bob Taft (too unpopular), Bob Ney (too disgraceful), Tom Noe (busy with his felony trial), John Boehner (probably golfing or in his tanning bed), Deborah Pryce (too busy spending the 8 pay raises she gave herself), Kenneth Blackwell (working on ways keep corruption in Ohio if he wins). Hopefully, Jon Stewart will have some real heroes on his show. In Ohio, the real heroes are regular Ohioans who have had to endure the culture of corruption that the Republicans have given us.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

It appears that Republican Rep. Mark Foley's sexual appetite for congressional pages was very widespread. More pages are involved. (Yahoo News)Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley made friends with a wide circle of teenaged House of Representatives pages, then singled out "hot" boys to write to, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

The newspaper said it had identified four more former pages who said they were sexually solicited by Foley, who has resigned since the scandal broke last month.

One former page, who was not identified, said Foley sent him e-mails when he was 16 asking about "my roommates, if I ever saw them naked." Later, the former page said Foley hinted about a job opportunity "because I was a hot boy," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Two years later, the page, now 22, said, he wrote Foley to ask about hotels in Washington. "You could always stay at my place. I'm always here, I'm always lonely, and I'm always up for oral sex," he quoted the disgraced former member of Congress as saying....

Are the Republicans still saying they knew nothing??? That is just pathetic! While these pages had to fight off the attacks of a perverted member of the GOP, they looked the other way.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Republicans need to keep their hands to themselves. Raw Story has the latest scandal:A Republican Congressman's office is being sued for sexual harassment, according to Roll Call.

"Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.), already enmeshed in the ex-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) page scandal, now faces a new controversy as a former staffer has sued his office for sexual harassment," John Bresnahan reports....

Missouri is being visited by Vote Vets. Republican Sen. Talent should be ashamed of himself:Iraq veterans today are launching a television ad campaign in Missouri, saying in no uncertain terms that Jim Talent voted against them. Now they are calling on Missourians to vote against him. The ad, titled “Body Armor,” can be viewed by clicking here....

Actor, Michael J. Fox, is appearing in an ad to support the campaign of Claire McCaskill. Raw Story has the video.

Friday, October 20, 2006

It appears as though Republican Rep. Curt Weldon has gotten himself in trouble ---- again.CREW blog:

E-mails received by CREW have prompted us to ask the Department of Justice to investigate whether Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA) violated the law by intimidating government personnel "in the national security field" who support his opponent, Joe Sestak.

The first e-mail describes a "hit list" compiled of Weldon opponent's supporters. In addition, that e-mail notes the Weldon said something to the effect of "If they don't think there will be retribution before or after the election, they're kidding themselves." The second e-mail states that Weldon had his staff contact Navy personnel to get information on Sestak.

CREW has asked the Department of Justice to investigate this very serious matter. The e-mails, which are provided below, detail a disturbing, and potentially unlawful, abuse of power. 18 U.S.C. §600 and 18 U.S.C. §610 are implicated with this kind of behavior.

Melanie Sloan stated that, "Not only has Rep. Weldon abused his position to financially benefit his daughter, he has threatened to misuse his position to punish those who support his political opponent. Rep. Weldon needs to learn that no one, not even a powerful member of Congress is above the law."

The Republicans are bringing out their smear machine in Ohio. With Blackwell almost 20 points behind in the polls, Blackwell and his extreme right wing Republican supporters have enlisted the help of a racist, hatemonger radio host in Cincinnati to lie and smear Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland. Apparently, the Republicans are so afraid of losing their cash cow in Ohio.

The people in Ohio have had enough!!!!! Taft, Ney, Noe, Schmidt, Blackwell, Boehner, DeWine, Johnson, Padgett, Pryce, Tiberi, etc., have been in power and brought scandal and corruption to new heights. Ohio needs to clean out the corruption in the various departments and bring in fresh leadership, a new agenda, and clean government. Why are Republicans afraid of a clean government?

Thursday, October 19, 2006

The newest edition of Rolling Stone Magazine has their list of the 10 Worst Congressmen. Here is an excerpt from the article about the Worst Congress:There is very little that sums up the record of the U.S. Congress in the Bush years better than a half-mad boy-addict put in charge of a federal commission on child exploitation. After all, if a hairy-necked, raincoat-clad freak like Rep. Mark Foley can get himself named co-chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, one can only wonder: What the hell else is going on in the corridors of Capitol Hill these days?

These past six years were more than just the most shameful, corrupt and incompetent period in the history of the American legislative branch. These were the years when the U.S. parliament became a historical punch line, a political obscenity on par with the court of Nero or Caligula -- a stable of thieves and perverts who committed crimes rolling out of bed in the morning and did their very best to turn the mighty American empire into a debt-laden, despotic backwater, a Burkina Faso with cable.....

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Here in Ohio we have had our share of Republican scandals. I'll do you a favor. I won't list them all---just some - Gov. Bob Taft, Abramoff's friend Bob Ney, Republican fundraiser Tom "Coingate" Noe, the Ohio Bureau of Workers'Compensation's Missing Millions, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's BFF-(best friend forever) Mark Foley, the loss of 200,000 jobs, etc. How can I sum up all thecorruption? The lovely people at Republican't have used their abilities to make a visual statement:

A new poll by SurveyUSA has President Bush's job approval rating in Ohio at 37%. Wow! Do you think that Ohioans have had enough of the Ohio Republican corruption, the war, the job losses, the lies, the Katrina aftermath, etc.?

*Did you happen to catch the TODAY Show story about Democratic candidate, Tammy Duckworth? Duckworth is an Iraq war vet who is also a double amputee. Despite the fact that the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting was hit, and despite the fact that both her legs had been blown off, she successfully landed the helicopter to save the crew. Duckworth is a real American hero! She would definitely be an asset to the House of Representatives because her insight and experience could help bring an end to the Iraq War fiasco.

Tom Noe was deep in debt when he convinced the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in 1998 to invest $25 million in rare coins, “setting the stage for one of the biggest swindles” ever committed against the state of Ohio, a Lucas County prosecutor said yesterday....

...Noe, 52, faces 44 felony counts related to charges that he took more than $2.2 million from the coin funds he managed for the bureau. He sat attentively yesterday, taking notes just in front of his wife, Bernadette, who sat in the gallery with her attorney, Charles Ticknor III....

Ohio Republicans have ruined our state and given away public money to their friends.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Raw Story is quoting a story in the New York Times:...Senior Republican leaders have concluded that Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a pivotal state in this year's fierce midterm election battles, is likely to be heading for defeat and are moving to reduce financial support for his race and divert party money to other embattled Republican senators, party officials said.....

Friday, October 13, 2006

UPDATE: ABC NEWS Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty Friday in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling investigation, the first lawmaker to confess to crimes in an election-year scandal that has stained the Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush administration.

Standing before Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, Ney pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements. He acknowledged taking money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of Abramoff and his clients.

Ney did not immediately resign from Congress, and within minutes, Republican and Democratic leaders vowed to expel him unless he steps down. The White House also called for Ney's resignation....

Republicans are trying to hide their party identification. Local politician, David Goodman, does not say he is a Republican in his campaign ads. By hiding their party affiliation, Goodman and other GOPers are not giving voters complete information. I think it is wrong and dishonest.

Raw Story found a Business Week article that describes how the President's brother, Neil Bush, is making a bundle on the No Child Left Behind program.

...The five groups named in the report are Americans for Tax Reform, headed by influential conservative activist Grover Norquist; the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy, which was founded by Gale Norton before she became Secretary of the Interior; Citizens Against Government Waste, which fights "pork barrel" spending; the National Center for Public Policy Research, a think tank; and Toward Tradition, a religious group.

According to the report, some of the groups laundered money from Abramoff's lobbying clients and took payments to write newspaper opinion pieces. Some took payments from Abramoff's lobbying clients in return for introducing them to prominent Bush administration officials, while others underwrote trips for members of Congress that were actually paid for with money from Abramoff lobbying clients....

Thursday, October 12, 2006

The battle for the control of Ohio's 15th district is continuing. Many view Republican Deborah Pryce's recent behavior and language as desperate. The Chronicle has this:

Charges of gaybaiting are being tossed around a hotly contested central Ohio congressional race as one candidate tries to connect the other to former Rep. Mark Foley and his page scandal.

Incumbent Deborah Pryce, R-15, accused her Democratic opponent, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, of trying to “gaybait her way to Congress.”

The charge, made in an October 6 news conference, is over a Kilroy radio ad.

The spot starts out saying that House Republicans sent troops into battle without body armor and gave themselves a $30,000 raise “while running up the largest deficit in American history.”

The indignant female announcer then takes most of the ad to discuss “Deborah Pryce’s friend Mark Foley” and his “predatory behavior” with underage pages, criticizing House Speaker Dennis Hastert for “ignoring the Foley problem” and Pryce for “protecting” Hastert.

The one-minute ad accuses Pryce, the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House, of being “part of the problem in Congress.”

But there is no mention of anything gay......

....LGBT Democrats charge that Pryce, who is trailing Kilroy, is tossing the term “gaybaiting” around in order to get traction on a matter that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Pryce’s campaign did not respond by press time to numerous calls to answer how the ad is gaybaiting.

Kilroy spokesperson Amanda Wurst said the charge was surprising.

“The reason why we put it out is that it shows a failure of leadership in Washington,” said Wurst.

Lynn Greer, a lesbian Democratic Party activist, called Pryce’s characterization “outrageous.” Greer lives in Pryce’s district, which includes much of Columbus with rural Union and Madison counties.

“Deborah Pryce is showing no responsibility for how the Foley incident was handled,” said Greer. “This is her desperate attempt to drive a wedge into the public in order to distract from that.”

“Had [Pryce] not used the word ‘gaybaiting’ no one would have paid any attention to her press conference or written anything about the ad,” said Greer, “not the Dispatch, and not the Gay People’s Chronicle.”

Greer said Pryce is trying to create controversy among LGBT voters that otherwise would not be there.

“It’s a close election,” said Greer.

Kilroy has a long relationship with the Columbus area LGBT community, including her distinction as Stonewall Columbus’ first non-LGBT ally....

With less than thirty days to go, Pryce and her Republican Party will only get more desperate and more despicable.

Mercury News: The Army is making plans to keep its current troop levels in Iraq through 2010 if they're needed, the Army's chief of staff said Wednesday....

How did military families feel when they read that bit of news?How did our service members feel when they read that staying through 2010 is the plan?How do our service members plan their lives knowing that there is no escape from the war and the consequences for the next four years?

Republican Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio wants us to stay in Iraq until the job is done. How do we know when the job is done? How many more of our loved ones have to die until the job is done?

According to the Columbus Dispatch, here is what the Ohio Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Sherrod Brown, had to say: Brown...wants to see the military produce an exit strategy in the next 18 to 24 months, arguing that staying the course will dig the U.S. into a deeper hole.

Brown, who talked with the editorial board Tuesday, also wants to see competent Iraqi security forces in place, but he doesn’t think that can happen until the U.S. lets them know that American soldiers won’t stick around indefinitely.

"If the Iraqis think we’re not going to leave, there’s no incentive for them to do what they’re not doing now with security forces and political settlement," he said.

For those who predict chaos if we set a time to leave, Brown said, chaos already is happening.

"I’m not saying it’s going to be a peaceful country if we leave after two years, but we’re now refereeing a civil war," he said. "We’re not making Iraq safer, and we’re not making ourselves safer."

If you want change in Washington, DC, you must elect new senators and members of Congress. Without a change in elected officials, it all becomes the same old routine --- scandals, ethics violations, lobbyists writing laws, war, lack of oversight, tax cuts for the rich, growing profits for oil companies and war profiteers, etc.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

If you watched the Daily Show last night, you know that Jon Stewart raised an interesting point---- Why did Republican Rep. Denny Hastert hold a press conference outside a graveyard? Was Hastert trying to show the prospects for the scandal-plagued Republican party for this year's midterm elections? Just asking.

If the Republicans call themselves the party of responsibility, why won't they take responsibility for the covering up the page scandal, the failure of the Medicare Plan D program, the fiasco in Iraq, their scandals with lobbyists, etc., etc.? Just asking.

Why do the Republicans always have to say that all bad news is politically motivated? Just asking.

Why are the Republicans trying to hide the deaths of 655,000 Iraqis since 2003? Just asking!

When Republicans talk about moral values, why do they always forget about their adulters Giuliani, Gingrich, Sherwood, Barr, etc.? I'm just asking!

Americans have to ask themselves if we are willing to continue to put up with the failures and lies of the Republicans in the Senate and the House. I think we've had enough.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The Republicans cannot blame the Clinton administration for everything. The Bush people have been in office for six years.Americablog quotes Madeleine Albright as she appears on ABC NEWS:

During the Clinton administration "...there were no nuclear weapons tests by North Korea, no new plutonium production, and no new nuclear weapons developed in Pyongyang."This administration has ignored North Korea because they were more interested in invading Iraq. We know what a fiasco Iraq has been. The Bushes have done a poor job of keeping their eye on North Korea. Was it ignored on purpose, laziness, or was it out of ignorance? Whatever the reasons, the Bush administration has once again failed to protect the American people.

Here is a little something about Buckeye QB Troy Smith from this morning's Dispatch:Troy Smith has become a downright picky passer of historical significance.

Buoyed by his performance in the past two games, which included throwing seven touchdown passes with no interceptions, the Ohio State senior quarterback is at the top of the Big Ten career passing efficiency list.

His career rating of 158.1 is well ahead of No. 2 Joe Germaine (151.0), who played for OSU from 1996-98....

Sunday, October 08, 2006

It seems as though the Bush administration has wasted time and energy concentrating on starting a war in Iraq, when they should have been keeping an eye on North Korea:KBS Global: North Korea says it has conducted its first-ever nuclear test.

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that the underground test was successful without any radioactive leakage from the site.

Presidential office spokesman Yoon Tae-young said the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources detected a seismic tremor of about three-point-five-seven magnitude following Pyongyang’s announcement.

Yoon went on to say that President Roh Moo-hyun called a meeting of security-related ministers to discuss the matter.....

...Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating has fallen to a new all-time low for the Newsweek poll: 33 percent, down from an already anemic 36 percent in August. Only 25 percent of Americans are satisfied with the direction of the country, while 67 percent say they are not....

...Democrats now outdistance Republicans on every single issue that could decide voters’ choices come Nov. 7. In addition to winning—for the first time in the NEWSWEEK poll—on the question of which party is more trusted to fight the war on terror (44 to 37 percent) and moral values (42 percent to 36 percent), the Democrats now inspire more trust than the GOP on handling Iraq (47 to 34); the economy (53 to 31); health care (57 to 24); federal spending and the deficit (53 to 29); gas and oil prices (56 to 23); and immigration (43 to 34)....

* While the Republicans are dealing with their scandals, we have word about the war in Iraq from the Washington Post:

...Last month, 776 U.S. troops were wounded in action in Iraq, the highest number since the military assault to retake the insurgent-held city of Fallujah in November 2004, according to Defense Department data. It was the fourth-highest monthly total since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003....

While the discussion about Woodward's State of Denial has largely centered around the communication (or lack thereof) of the Bush Administration, M.J. Rosenberg of TPMCafe caught a little throwaway line in the book that has some deeply disturbing implications:

On page 344, Woodward describes the doings at the White House in the early morning hours of Wednesday, the day after the '04 election.

Apparently, Kerry had decided not to concede. There were 250,000 outstanding ballots in Ohio.

So Kerry decides to fight. In fact, he considers going to Ohio to camp out with his voters until there is a recount. This is the last thing the White House needs, especially after Florida 2000.

So what happened?

James Carville gets on the phone with his wife, Mary Matalin, who is at the White House with Bush.

"Carville told her he had some inside news. The Kerry campaign was going to challenge the provisional ballots in Ohio — perhaps up to 250,000 of them. 'I don't agree with it, Carville said. I'm just telling you that's what they're talking about.'

"Matalin went to Cheney to report…You better tell the President Cheney told her."

Matalin does, advising Bush that "somebody in authority needed to get in touch with J. Kenneth Blackwell, the Republican Secretary of State in Ohio who would be in charge of any challenge to the provisional votes." An SOS goes out to Blackwell.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Now that the FBI finally has started the congressional sex scandal investigation, Republican leader Denny Hastert is starting to feel the pressure of the scrutiny. This is an excerpt from an article in today's Washington Post:House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's chief of staff confronted then-Rep. Mark Foley about his inappropriate social contact with male pages well before the speaker said aides in his office took any action, a current congressional staff member with personal knowledge of Foley and his behavior with pages said yesterday.

The staff member said Hastert's chief of staff, Scott Palmer, met with the Florida Republican at the Capitol to discuss complaints about Foley's behavior toward pages. The alleged meeting occurred long before Hastert says aides in his office dispatched Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.) and the clerk of the House in November 2005 to confront Foley about troubling e-mails he had sent to a Louisiana boy.

The staff member's account buttresses the position of Foley's onetime chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, who said earlier this week that he had appealed to Palmer in 2003 or earlier to intervene, after Fordham's own efforts to stop Foley's behavior had failed. Fordham said Foley and Palmer, one of the most powerful figures in the House of Representatives, met within days to discuss the allegations....

I hope that the investigations and their findings will be revealed before election day.

Could someone tell that twerp Hannity to stop blaming Democrats? Since when are Hannity, O'Reilly, Gingrich, Sheldon, and other ethically challenged Republicans experts on family values and morality?

Friday, October 06, 2006

**Patty Wetterling, Democratic candidate for congress has a great ad. Watch it HERE.

***Former Republican Rep. Mark Foley sponsored several bills as a member fo the House of Representatives. According to Women's Policy, Inc., Foley sponsored a Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Here are some excerpts from the site, dated March 10, 2006:....H.R. 4472 would incorporate the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (H.R. 2423), sponsored by Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL). The bill would establish three levels concerning a sex offenders risk of committing another offense: a tier I sex offender has committed an offense punishable by imprisonment for one year or less; a tier II sex offender has committed an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or committed the offense as a tier I offender; and a tier III sex offender has committed an offense against a minor or committed the offense as a tier II offender. The measure would require a sex offender to register in each jurisdiction where he or she lives, works, or attends school. Registration would be updated regularly for the offenders entire life in the case of a tier III sex offender, for 30 years in the case of a tier II sex offender, and for 20 years in the case of a tier I sex offender. The measure would establish a National Sex Offender Registry and would require the Department of Justice to maintain a website that would allow the public to access the registry. H.R. 4472 also would establish a Sex Offender Management Assistance program to assist jurisdictions with the costs of maintaining local registries....Does anyone else think Foley's sponsorship of a sex offender bill is just a little strange????

Looks like Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine has been taking lessons from Rumsfeld. Check out the way he speaks in this excerpt from the Columbus Dispatch:

"Did they know he was a predator? " De-Wine asked, referring to Republican Mark Foley of Florida, who resigned from Congress last week after publication of the e-mails to former House pages. "Did they have reason to believe he was a predator? And if either one is true and they didn’t do anything, they should resign."

also, in the same article another view.......Democrat Bob Shamansky, who is challenging Rep. Pat Tiberi of Genoa Township, called on Boehner and Hastert to relinquish their leadership posts, charging that the GOP-controlled Congress "has become a moral and ethical sewer."

I love that phrase ------".....the GOP-controlled Congress "has become a moral and ethical sewer."

Speaking of obscene behavior.....

Raw Story is citing something they found at MSNBC.com concerning a $20 MILLION DOLLAR GOP PARTY-The military’s top generals have warned Iraq is on the cusp of a civil war and that U.S. troops must remain in large numbers until at least next spring. But if the winds suddenly blow a different direction, Congress is ready to celebrate with a $20 million victory party.......Republicans have yet to claim responsibility for the provision. Democrats say it was likely added by the Senate’s majority Republicans, and less than five weeks from congressional elections are pointing to it as another example of where the GOP has gone astray handling the war in Iraq....

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

This just in>>>>>> It looks like Ohio's Republican Sen. Mike DeWine has not been doing enough to protect us because of his high absenteeism. From the Huffington Post: *Cleveland Plain-Dealer: "Sen. Mike DeWine has missed nearly half the public hearings of the Senate Intelligence Committee, a panel he is on that is supposed to keep the nation's intelligence capabilities on track."Ladies and Gentlemen,I'd like to present to you the scandalous Republican Party. Here is a partial list of what they've done:

1. Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and his ethics violations.2. Republican Rep. Mark Foley and his sexually explicit e-mails and Instant Messages to congressional pages.3. Jean Schmidt (OH-2-R) calling Rep. John Murtha, a Marine and decorated veteran, a cut and run Democrat.4. Newt Gingrich serving his second wife divorce papers while she was hospitalized for cancer so he could marry his third wife.5. Republican Rep. Sherwood of Pennsylvania chokes his mistress.6. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation lost millions of dollars because they gave the money to Republican friends to "invest."7. Tom Noe, former coin dealer and Bush contributor, is accused of money laundering to protect his contributions to the GOP.8. Republican Joy Padgett of Ohio, who is Bob Ney's hand-picked choice to fill his post, smeared former American hostage, Terry Anderson.9. Republican Bob Ney who received money, trips, and favors from convicted lobbyist, Jack Abramoff.10. The Ohio Republicans who promised jobs to Ohioans, but delivered part-time jobs at Wal-Mart.11. The Ohio Republicans who refused to work out a plan for equitable school funding for the state.12. Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce who votes according to the dictates of DeLay, Hastert, Boehner, drug and oil companies instead of her constituents.13. Pryce voted for her own pay raises but voted against raises and bonuses for our troops.14. Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson's trip to Texas and his flyover downtown Columbus that frightened citizens.15. Tom DeLay16. Dennis Hastert

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

HinesSight has found an interesting You Tube campaign ad which asks the question, "Have you had enough?" This time the question concerns Hastert. The video was put together by the campaign for Mark Laesch, the Democratic candidate for Hastert's seat.

Brian Ross, ABC News reporter, said that he has been contacted by other former congressional pages. I'm sure there will be more news today.

According to a speech given by former Rep. Mark Foley, he mentioned he took some of the congressional pages out to dinner. This crosses the line. There should be rules that are strictly followed by members of Congress and the rules should include---

1. A member of Congress or congressional staff members may not take congressional pages to dinner, in their cars, on trips, or anywhere outside of the halls of Congress.

2. A member of Congress should not send e-mails, text messages, or Instant Messages directly to the pages.

3. A member of Congress should not be alone with any Congressional page.

4. Any and all infractions must be reported to the Clerk, one Democratic member, one Republican member, and the Ethics committee.

>>Looks like the pages knew about Foley. Zenoferox has an interesting posting about some congressional pages.

According to the Hill, Hastert knew about Foley since 2005.NY Times: Members of the Sept. 11 commission said today that they were alarmed that they were told nothing about a White House meeting in July 2001 at which George J. Tenet, then the director of central intelligence, is reported to have warned Condoleezza Rice, then the national security adviser, about an imminent Al Qaedaattack and failed to persuade her to take action....Wal-Mart plans to cut hours and pay for its work force.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Sherrod Brown, had this to say on Meet the Press--He will represent the people of Ohio and not his party. Brown has only voted with Bush 7% of the time.

DeWine has voted for every Bush appointee. DeWine has voted with Bush on average 90% of the time. Looks like DeWine doesn't care what Ohioans think because he follows the commands of the White House, Karl Rove, and the Republican leadership.

With the recent Republican corruption in Ohio and the Republican scandals in the federal government, Ohioans have the chance to really make a big difference in the way things work. Dump the Republicans. Vote for Democrats!